The Garden Magazine, April, 1921 
119 
Tomatoes not only furnishes us plentifully with ripe fruits 
throughout the summer, but from time to time we are able 
to can excess fruit; and just before frost we cut down several of 
the best plants and hang them root side up in the warm base- 
ment, where the green fruit gradually ripens, supplying our 
table with tomatoes long after they have disappeared from 
gardens and markets. 
When to Use the Fish-poles 
When the Tomato plants are tall enough to be tied the five foot 
bamboo poles are set up to support them. These poles are 
strong and attractive in appearance, and have the added ad- 
vantage over wooden ones of being lighter, and cleaner, and 
therefore more easily kept in good condition during the time 
when not in use. They are very durable and the same ones 
have served me now for five seasons. 1 believe the suggestion 
for their use came from The Garden Magazine. 
Planting for Continuous Crops 
N EXT to the Tomatoes and Chives are planted rows of Let- 
tuce, the variety of Mignonette being used, as 1 have found 
this to be the tenderest as well as the sweetest throughout-the- 
season Lettuce. A space of 2 x 12 sq. ft. is given to this; it is 
planted in two double rows, 6 inches apart, with 12 inches between 
the double rows for cultivating. Later it is thinned out, and is 
ready to use in about six weeks. As soon as past its prime, it is 
at once removed, the ground fertilized, cultivated and planted 
immediately with more Lettuce, Beans or Radishes — which- 
ever is needed most. 
In the next 18 inches comes the Parsley, which has been 
wintered over by a careful covering of straw and boards. This 
old Parsley (variety Emerald), is used until the new plants are 
ready. Parsley seeds are difficult of germination and 1 have 
had best and quickest results by soaking them over night in 
water before planting. When the new Parsley is ready the old 
row is removed and the space made ready at once for second 
plantings of seeds. 
The Swiss Chard (Lucullus) is given the next plot, 1^ x 12 ft. 
I cannot say enough in praise of Swiss Chard for the “post- 
age stamp” type of garden such as this one is, where space is 
at a premium. It is sturdy in growth, fine in appearance, and 
delicious to serve both as a cooked vegetable for greens and 
raw for a salad, the stalks being used for the latter, the tops 
for the former. The stalks may also be cooked as asparagus 
is and served on toast. It is necessary to remember to use 
the outside stalks in cutting, leaving the crown to grow. 
As only one sowing of this is necessary, it is a great economizer 
of space. 
Next the Chard are four rows of a Bush Bean well named 
“ Bountiful” for the number of pods one plant produces is un- 
believable. It is of excellent flavor, green in color, stringless, 
and tender; and we make successive plantings every two weeks 
whenever we can crowd in a row, first fertilizing the ground cop- 
iously and working it thoroughly. These four rows must be i§ 
ft. apart to allow of thorough cultivation; so the first planting 
requires 6 ft. x 12 ft. 
The Peppers come next, one row of them, planted 2 ft. apart; 
and this takes two more feet from the length of the garden east 
and west. These we use for salads and flavoring so only six 
plants of the Bell or Bull Nose Sweet Pepper are required. These 
plants are most decorative, bearing throughout the season little 
green bells, which in the fall turn to a dark red. 
For the Radishes we reserve 3 ft., planting one twelve foot row 
every two weeks leaving 8 inches between the rows. Radishes 
mature in about six weeks after planting; the first row is ready 
around the time the fourth row is sown. With careful tending of 
the soil the radish patch will produce continuously except in the 
driest, hottest part of summer, when we skip two plantings as at 
that time radishes mature too rapidly and are consequently so 
hot and coarse that they are not enjoyable. This is likewise 
true of the plantings of Lettuce, which goes to seed too quickly 
in mid-summer. Beans, however, can be planted regularly 
every two or three weeks throughout the season. Next the 
Radish section the new Parsley is planted, requiring 18 inches. 
This arrangement leaves about 4 x 12 ft. for emergency plant- 
ings of Beans, Radishes, or Lettuce. 
Training the Cucumber to Climb 
A thirty foot trellis fence runs along the north boundary of 
the garden. On this fence for about ten feet, at the far ends of 
the rows of Parsley, Radishes and Peppers, some Cucumber 
plants are trained. The Peppers and Radishes do not grow 
sufficiently high to interfere with the growth of the vines. For 
a few seasons a climbing Japanese Cucumber was used for this 
purpose, but later we found that any of the ordinary varieties 
could be trained as successfully and that the results were equally 
good with the obvious space-saving advantage. In this way 
the cucumbers are free from dirt and are without the yellow, 
undeveloped undersides all too frequently found when they have 
been allowed to lie on muddy soil during a rain)- period. 
Mint for Many Purposes 
T HE Mint bed is at present poorly placed, at the south-west 
end of the garden farthest from the house. A much better 
location, which I mean to try, is as near as possible to the 
kitchen door so that it may be conveniently at hand when 
needed. It requires a very small place; our present bed is only 
18 x 18 inches and it supplies all the Mint needed for an oc- 
casional roast of lamb as well as for the many pitchers of orange- 
mint and lemon-mint iced-tea, enjoyed on hot summer after- 
noons. 
The important factors in intensive planting for the small 
vegetable garden are the copious, if not lavish use of fertilizer, 
water, and the garden hoe; and perhaps more than all, prompt- 
ness in removing old crops and in replacing them at once with 
new seedings. The accompanying diagram shows the space 
allotted each vegetable and the arrangement of the plantings as 
actually — and successfully — done in our garden. 
